To sail a small craft usually requires use of either a long centerboard or an outrigger to counterbalance the sail. Both these alternatives present problems to use. The centerboard is unwieldly and impairs sailing in shallow water or beaching the craft. The outrigger converts the craft into a catamaran in effect. Both these alternatives provide stability; neither provides self-righting capacity.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,874, Held discloses a boat stabilizer which will minimize rocking and pitching of the boat. This device is yet another alternative to the centerboard or outrigger, but it fails to provide self-righting capacity.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 421,008 (Martin); 2,998,791 (Light); and 4,082,053 (Woodward) disclose three means for controlling a boat. The functions of rudders and centerboards are combined to improve the performance of the boat. Again, these devices fail to teach means to self-right the small craft. Each is merely an improvement to the steering mechanism of a boat.